Rangers and Man Utd stood as mentality monsters in unison now 4 striking parallels underline their frightening falls
When it comes to finance one of them is in a different stratosphere to the other. But in football terms? The similarities are really quite striking.
Manchester United and Rangers. It wasn’t so long ago these two were regarded as the biggest clubs in Britain. Top of the tree north and south of the border. The quintessential champions. That was 30 years ago, though. Now, it’s a different story for both of them. Yet you can’t help but feel this pair are like two of the game’s most kindred spirits.
Let’s be honest, compared to what they used to be, they’re a shadow of their former selves. United’s last Premier League title was back in 2013. While at Rangers, their solitary success under Steven Gerrard in 2021 has proved to be a flash in the pan. Opposition teams used to be scared of going to Old Trafford and Ibrox. But the fear factor is gone.
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Previously, they were both renowned for being mentality monsters. Now? They’re more like gentle giants.
Fragile mentality
It was evident on Sunday after watching them in action. In fact, it was probably Lisandro Martinez’s interview following their 2-2 draw at Anfield against Liverpool that really brought it home.
When asked how his team could perform so well on Merseyside against England’s top dogs - yet six days before they’d been humiliated by Newcastle on their own ground - the Argentine defender put his finger to his head. “The mind,” he said. Quite rightly, Martinez was suggesting that United’s players just don’t have the mental fortitude to compete for a title.
Ability-wise, it’s in there. And in a one-off 90 minutes, as they’ve proved against Liverpool and Manchester City in the FA Cup over the last year, they can bring it to the party. But when it comes to showing the kind of resilience and relentlessness to do it every week, they don’t have it in them.
Frustrated managers
That’s exactly why their gaffer, Ruben Amorim, was so frustrated post-match at Anfield, with United languishing 13th in the Premier League table. It’s a similar story with Rangers.
After blitzing Celtic in the Old Firm derby and winning 3-0, they couldn’t follow it up at Easter Road on Sunday against Hibs. At the end, Philippe Clement was left - justifiably - bemoaning a penalty decision that went against his side as they could only draw 3-3. But having gone 2-0 and 3-2 up in the game, the reason they lost was their inability to see a game out. To get over the line.
It was the same at St Mirren and Motherwell recently. For that, you need to have an inner steel about you. A grit and determination to get the job done.
Of course, a defensive injury crisis has crippled Clement. But the players he had out there should have been capable of collecting three points. His keeper, Liam Kelly, said as much afterwards.
That's where Manchester United and Rangers are at the moment. Miles away from being champions again. They fancy turning up for the caviar games. But when it comes to bread and butter? Not so much. So where has this mindset come from, when you compare it to where they once were?
Both have had major off-field, ownership issues - mainly Rangers, of course, in 2012. Standards have been allowed to slip in Manchester and Govan - and once they’re lowered, it can be difficult to raise them again.
A lack of leadership
In general terms, there’s another similarity. A lack of leadership. There’s a feeling that when key figures, Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, left United, it has never been the same again.
You could argue, it’s a familiar story at Ibrox. Without the likes of a Walter Smith driving it, expectation levels have dipped. They've got used to playing second fiddle.
He and Sir Alex helped to build a winning culture around these two institutions, which just isn’t there any more. This week, while the likes of Liverpool and Celtic stormed ahead, the story around United and Rangers was the potential loan of a 37-year-old centre-half. And Clement could do a lot worse than get Jonny Evans in, by the way.
Ironically, as Rangers attempt to get themselves back to the top of the Scottish game, they’ve charged a former United employee, Patrick Stewart, as their CEO. Their new head of communications, Greg Mailer, who will arrive in April, also worked at Old Trafford. And of course, the two clubs will meet each other in the Europa League, not the Champions League, in a few weeks time at the Theatre of Dreams.
Going by how flakey and unpredictable their performances are, that could be an absolute cracker. Unlike in the Scottish Premiership, Clement’s record away from home in Europe has been outstanding. And if they can get a point in Manchester, his side will have one foot in the knock-out phase.
Meanwhile, Amorim will no doubt ask his players to reproduce their Anfield display to get a victory and take another step towards their recovery. Just like his Ibrox counterpart, the Portuguese boss is trying to prove he’s the right man to lead a resurgence - to take a club back to its former glories.
There’s one problem, though. When Amorim was carving out a reputation for himself at Braga and earning a crack at the Sporting Lisbon job - he only lost two games.
Who were they against? Rangers, of course.
